


"Just don't hurt Hazel, please"

by daydreamer30035



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Comfort, Gen, Internalized Homophobia, Jason supporting Nico, bromance?, platonic! - Freeform, scared
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:13:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28860873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daydreamer30035/pseuds/daydreamer30035
Summary: Nico is still freaked out over what happened in Croatia. He doesn't understand that Jason isn't going to out him. Jason is just really confused as to why Nico is having a panic attack on his doorstep at one in the morning.*The rating is for one slur that is censured*
Relationships: Nico di Angelo & Jason Grace
Kudos: 47





	"Just don't hurt Hazel, please"

**Author's Note:**

> There is one homophobic slur in this that is censured, but I would just like readers to be aware of that.

Above him, the stars glittered and blinked. Nico found himself connecting imaginary lines to different lights. It was a game he and Bianca used to play on clear nights at Westover Hall. Was that really only four years ago? 

Tears stung his eyes, and Nico resisted the urge to clamp them shut. If he did, then the boy knew that exhaustion would overtake his body, forcing him to sleep. That was the last thing that Nico wanted. The young demigod had always had trouble with nightmares, but ever since Tartarus Nico lived in constant fear of the dreams that made him relive the torture of the jar and countless other things.

A sharp wind whistled past, and Nico found himself pulling his aviator jacket even tighter around his small frame. The others had offered him Percy's room, but he couldn't bring himself to accept it. Hazel had enough sense not to press, and instead helped make a makeshift bed of blankets and pillows in the crow's nest.

Nico pressed the heel of his hand into his eyes. Hazel deserved so much better than him. It wasn't right for her to suffer for the abomination that happened to be her brother. Nico had already let one sister be punished for what he was, and the boy would be damned if he was going to sit by and let it happen again.

Taking a deep breath, Nico ran a hand over his face. Once certain that there was no trace of tears, he stood and started down the ladder to the deck of the Argo II. He was grateful that Coach Hedge was currently on watch duty. The satyr had a tendency to avoid Nico whenever possible. The boy had that effect on most nature spirits.

His footsteps echoed slightly as he descended into were the bunks were. A snore came from the door on his left, and Nico froze. When nothing happened, he continued on down the hall. Sooner than the boy would have liked, he found himself standing face to face with the last door in the hallway. 

_This is it_ , he told himself. _Now or Never._

* * *

Jason wasn't a deep sleeper. Sometimes he wasn't sure if that was a curse or a gift. Right now, he was classifying it as an annoyance because of the pounding that was coming from his door.

The young man wanted nothing more than to bury his head into his pillow and pull the blankets tighter around himself, but Jason knew that the person on the other side of the door was Frank. He wasn't selfish enough keep the other demigod from his own night's rest. Besides, it was Jason's own fault for volunteering to take the 3:00 a.m. watch shift.

When he finally managed to pull himself out of bed, it wasn't Frank who Jason met when he opened the door of his room. It was Nico.

Jason hadn't seen the other boy since the pair of them got back from Split. As soon as they had set foot onto the deck of the Argo II, Nico had disappeared up to the crow's nest. Jason figured that the best thing to do would be to give the younger boy space. 

So Jason was taken aback when he saw Nico standing outside of his bedroom. The demigod didn't think that he would be seeing the other for a few days. His voice was laced with concern when he spoke. "Nico, what's-"

"I'll leave. I swear I will." Nico rushed out, cutting Jason off. "I'll get you guys to the House of Hades, but afterwards I'm gone." Jason tried to ask him what the boy was going on about, but Nico was on a roll. "I promise to stay in the crow's nest for the rest of the trip, and I won't eat in the mess hall with you."

"Just please-" his voice broke. "don't- Hazel had nothing to do with it. It's all me. She doesn't know, so please, please, leave her out of it. You- you can do what you want with me, but- but just don't hurt my sister."

The boy held his breath, waiting for Jason's answer. It was then that he noticed how bad Nico looked. He was shaking like a leaf and his eyes were brimmed with tears that threatened to spill at any moment.

"Nico," Jason started, doing his best to keep his voice calm so he doesn't freak Nico out more than he already is. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about today. How Cupid- that I'm-"

"Cupid is a jerk. I swear to you that I won't tell anyone, not until you're ready."

"No, you don't get it!" Nico said, thrashing his head from side to side. "I'm a ***, Jason!"

That snapped Jason out of his stupor. He grabbed the boy's wrist and pulled him inside, shutting the door with his foot behind him. Nico whimpered, shrinking in on himself, and Jason realized that the boy thought he was going to hurt him.

Forcing himself to calm down, Jason let go of Nico's wrist. He stepped back, and crouched down so that he had to look up at Nico instead of down. It hit Jason for the first time exactly how young the other boy was compared to the rest of the crew. 

"Nico, look at me," when he didn't, Jason sighed but continued. " _No one_ on board this ship is going to shun, hurt, or look at you differently. You like guys, so what? But don't you _ever_ , think about yourself in that way, and if anyone does give you shit because of it, then there are a ton of people who are going to kick that person's ass."

Nico finally looked up from the floor. "You, you mean that? You really don't care."

Jason nodded forcefully. "I mean _every_ , _single_ , word."

For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, Nico flung himself onto Jason. The boy's arms wrapped around the other, and Jason hugged him back just as tight. The raven haired boy buried his head into the demigod's chest, and choked back a sob. Jason kept one arm wrapped tightly around Nico, and slowly ran his fingers through his thick hair with the other.

They stayed like that for a long time, the only noise muffled crying and soft cooing and shushing. Jason lost track of time, but at some point, he felt the younger boy grow heavy in his arms. He smiled warmly down at Nico, before gently picking him up in his arms. Jason carried him to his bed, and set him down with a soft thud.

The second Nico hit the mattress, he curled into a ball, burying under the mound of blankets. Jason chuckled. He ruffled the boy's hair, then turned to see if it was almost his turn to keep watch. Before he could though, Jason felt Nico's hand clamp onto his wrist. He almost didn't hear what the young boy muttered, but it filled him with warmth when he did. " _Grazie_."


End file.
